Southern Africa Amazement

COUNTRY: Africa Combo
PROGRAM: GapBreak
PROJECT: Teaching
WRITTEN BY: Emma Catto

Our first week in Southern Africa was amazing!
Landing in Johannesburg on Sunday morning after an 11 hour flight, Victoria and I stayed at a cosy backpackers near the airport, meeting up with Jordan the next day and traveling to Swaziland, to Lidwala Lodge, where we will be spending a lot of time over the next month or so during our volunteering placement there.

Along the way we met up with a group of Canadian university students on a study abroad program, and we got to know them at Lidwala for a few days before heading north to Kruger National Park in South Africa for our safari.

Camping and game viewing in Kruger was an experience that I will never forget, and I know that it will be a highlight of this trip. Within 2 days of being driven around the park by our All Out Africa guide Bob, we had seen the "Big Five" (elephant, lion, buffalo, rhino and leopard), seeing a total of 3 leopards during our time there. Nights around a fire, waking up early to see the sun rise as we searched for animals, our sunset drive and early morning game walk were all complimented by the spectacular environment and landscapes we were constantly surrounded by, and all of the wild African animals that we were able to see!

Rounding off an unforgettable African experience

COUNTRY: Southern Africa (Swaziland, Mozambique & South Africa)
PROGRAM: GapBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Care Work
WRITTEN BY: Emily Forbes

My last blog post begins with an end as today we all head our separate ways.

The last three weeks in Cape Town have been the perfect end to our African adventure. We jumped head first into our second volunteer projects and have enjoyed the challenges of working in an urban setting, which faces very different social issues to that of it's rural counterpart like we experienced in Swaziland. Many children here are exposed to violence, drug abuse and the toll of HIV/AIDS from a very young age.

We have been working at the local primary school in Hout Bay. This school has overwhelming numbers of students and classes are overcrowded with children. Many of the teachers struggle to give the necessary time and attention each student requires to excel. Our role was thus to spend time with the weaker students in the class, offering them some one-on-one help with the hopes that they would not have to repeat a year. It was amazing to see how quickly they improved when we gave them the attention they had required for so long. With the school year coming to an end we also helped the students learn Christmas carols and prepare for the Christmas play.

Those who weren't placed at the primary school participated in childcare projects in the Hangberg and Imizamo Yethu townships. Here we helped plan and carry out lessons, prepare the children's lunch and love, laugh and play with the children. We wanted them to receive the love and care they deserve that many unfortunately do not receive at home.

With our morning projects over we would make our way back to our stunning accommodation at Hout Bay backpackers for lunch before heading off to three different afternoon placements. Most of the girls were working at an after school care in the Imizamo Yethu township. This program is for children who were either affected or infected with HIV/AIDS. This really was a haven and safe environment for the children, who came after school to both learn and play. We participated in a myriad of activities over our time there, which included maths tutoring, reading and organising games to play with the children. On our last day the kids put on a show for us where we witnessed their amazing singing and dancing skills.

Whilst the girls were busy at the after school care, Mitch, Harry, Tom, Jack and Ben spent their afternoons working with the boys at the youth centre in Imizamo Yethu. This is a youth group program for boys aged 13-18. Our work here was to provide a stable role model for these boys, as many of them do not have responsible male figures in their own lives. The boys enrolled at the centre really embraced working with us and we really enjoyed our time there. We spent afternoons providing career advice, maths and English tutoring, with a few competitive games of soccer in between.

Our weekends were jam-packed as we attempted to experience as much as we could of Cape Town in our short time here, and there was an endless list of things to do. Our weekend activities included visiting canal walk, a huge shopping mall, shark cage diving, eating lunch at the beautiful V&A waterfront and experiencing Cape Town's vibrant nightlife.

One particular highlight was a day trip to Cape Point, the most south-westerly point in Africa (photo above). On this day we got to experience beautiful scenic views from both lookout points and on bikes. Another highlight was our trip out to Robben Island, which over it's history has served as a point of exile for people with leprosy and most famously as a political prison for those who opposed the apartheid regime. Our tour guide was a formal political prisoner who shared with us his history and we were all incredibly moved. Witnessing Mandela's prison cell was not something we're going to forget.

As our African adventure comes to an end today we are all extremely sad to part ways. We arrived in Africa as strangers but we leave as a family. We have made memories and friends here that will never be forgotten and we all hope to return one day, as it really does feel like a second home to us all. So, to the 16 incredibly talented Antipodeans I have had the privilege of working with over the past three months, thank you. We have all learnt so much from each other and I know there are many more memories to be made in the future.

For the last time,

Usale Kahle!

Emily Forbes

Southern Africa GapBreak team explore Victora Falls and Cape Tour

COUNTRY: Southern Africa (Swaziland, Mozambique & South Africa)
PROGRAM: GapBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Care Work
WRITTEN BY: Monique Bedwell & Rebecca Young

At last the day had arrived and it was time to leave for Vic Falls! This wasn't part of our original itinerary so we were even more excited to hit the road. We took the first of many group photos and then Kirsten got a bloody nose, which set us back a bit, but before long we were off. Bob was once again our driver (he drove us to Kruger) and he was accompanied by Mpho, as the second driver and Nosipho. Nosipho was essential as she is originally from Victoria falls and knows the area better than anyone.

After hours of driving, 4 more stamps in everyone's passports and some complaining we finally reached Camp Itumela, Palapye, Botswana at about 7pm with just enough time to organise our rooms and get settled for dinner. The food was a traditional meal and enabled most of us to have the opportunity to try a new dish, Crocodile casserole! As soon as someone took the first bite and didn't start frothing at the mouth, everyone else that was game enough gave it a go. After sitting around the camp fire and playing a few games of ping pong we all headed to bed as we had a 5am start looming in the distance.

Our next stop was in Kasane right on the Chobe river. Whilst there we had the opportunity to go on a river cruise. Kirsten, Aimée, Rebecca, Zoe and Matt had decided to do the river safari and were rewarded with some amazing views and lots of Elephants playing in the water. Dinner was a traditional slow cooked beef stew that everyone thoroughly enjoyed. We didn't have as early of a morning because everyone needed to get some US dollars but the banks didn't open until 9am. Nosipho and Bob had been to the bank the day before to make sure that they had enough USD for all of us so we were a bit worried when they told us that they didn't have any at that morning. Luckily it turned out they did, but they would only change our money in one transaction, so in the end this took even longer than it should've and due to our tight schedule we couldn't afford any slip ups.

After another border crossing we had finally made it to Zimbabwe. We quickly had lunch and settled into our new lodge, Shoestrings Backpackers, before rushing to the Zambian border to be able to make it to our Devils Pools adventure on time. Once through the border everyone split into different taxis with Alice, Madi, Louisa, and Zoe heading off in the first one they saw. When the last people arrived at the Royal Livingstone Hotel we realised that the girls were no where to be seen so we all started to worry. The guide was annoyed at us for not being on time but there was simply nothing we could have done to be there earlier. When it came time to get on the first boat out to Livingstone Island there was still no sign of the girls. When the second boat arrived the girls had still not shown up and there was nothing else we could do.

We were shown around Livingstone Island then were directed to where the Devils pool was. It was an incredible experience! Each of us were able to hang over the edge of the falls and peer down at the falling water beneath us. After a delicious high tea on the island we headed back in to find the 4 very unhappy girls. Unfortunately they had some very bad luck with a clueless taxi driver and were taken everywhere other than where they needed to be. Once we were back at Shoestrings we realised it was actually quite a lively place that also included small mini markets stalls, a large pool and many dorms. The bar was open to the public so we got a chance to meet some of the locals. The group had a great night of singing, dancing and a few drinks to relax after the very long and stressful day of travelling and panic.

The next morning a small group of us - James, Rebecca, Fe, Tash, Harry, Kirsten and Mon - were up at the crack of dawn (6.30am) to get ready for the Lion Encounter. Each individual was able to pat and walk with two 12 month old lionesses. It was an incredible feeling being so close to the famous African Lion. They were a part of a breeding program to hopefully one day be released back into the wild with the aim of aiding population growth. At about 12.30pm Louisa, Zoe, Alice, Tash, Aimèe, Matt, and Kirsten all took part in a helicopter flight over Victoria Falls. Everyone had mixed reviews as the falls were only at 10% capacity and although it was a marvellous view, it was not what they expected.

While at the lodge everyone found ways to relax and escape the heat as it about 40 degrees. Once everyone was back together we ate lunch and then made our way out to the Victoria Falls National Park where the whole group was able to walk our way along the falls, viewing points across the gorge on the Zambian side. Everyone was glad to have been able to finally get a greater view of what the falls actually looked like. Back at Shoestrings many of us wanted to get an early night as almost the entire group was taking part in whitewater rafting the next day.

While most made their way to sleep battling the loud music from the bar, others joined the locals in a few drinks, dances, and many pool games. Finally the time had come to go WHITEWATER RAFTING!! With a 6.30am start the whole group, minus Aimée, James and Kirstin headed off. Everyone was assigned a life jacket and a helmet and lead down the mountain with an ore in hand as well. We were broken off into two groups and set out in the boats. Each boat was given a debriefing and then headed out onto the rapids. Emotions were running high throughout the day as one boat was absolutely loving the experience and powering through each rapid, whilst the other was very unfortunate and experienced the first capsize of many. This quickly shocked people into realising just how dangerous rafting is. The day consisted of laughs, tears, chants, yelling, injuries, and a lot of hard work from everyone in the boats.

By halfway some people wanted to continue whilst others were ready to call in a helicopter to pick them up. Unfortunately for Mon she was unable to walk up to the top of the gorge and was then strapped to a stretcher board and carried up the gorge. Once gathering everyone together at Shoestrings, some headed off for more adventures such as the Gorge Swing and Bungee jump. James, Rebecca, Louisa, Zoe, Alice, Madi, Fe and Mon all took part in the gorge swing while Kirstin, Harry and Tarun watched on. James and Rebecca were brave and jumped by themselves with Rebecca taking it one step further by going head first. Everyone else was able to strap themselves to each other and take the step off the edge as a tandem. Unfortunately for James he did not make it in time for his bungee jump and missed out, but as compensation he said would simply do the bigger bungee on the way to Cape Town, twice. The day did not end there, everyone showered and got ready quickly as we were all heading out to the Boma dinner.

This is a traditional African experience with food, music, art, and culture. Everyone started to release the days adrenaline and help themselves to the exotic foods available at the open buffet. The main meat platters were prepared in front of us which included choices such as chicken, warthog steak, Kudo and for those who were brave enough to try it - the famous Mopani Worm. Those that were brave enough ended up with a certificate to prove it. We also had our fortunes told by a witch doctor, had our faces painted and joined in the music activities which included playing drums under instruction from the band. The night came to a close and so did our final and biggest day in Victoria falls as we were starting the long journey home in the morning.

The drive home was long and tiring for everyone but even more so for Alice and Matt who had picked up a stomach bug making the long drives between pit stops even harder than they should've been. We finally arrived at our stop for the night, Great Zimbabwe, just after 8pm ready to go to sleep and to forget about all the travelling still to come. In the morning the group was able to do a tour of the Great Zimbabwe Ancient Civilisation, whilst those who didn't go struggled to fight off monkeys from stealing our bags and our food.
The next stop on the way home was the Blyde River Canyon - the 3rd largest canyon in the world. Unfortunately we lucked out with the weather as it was raining and foggy so we didn't really get to see much. Finally we were on the home stretch! Which, after one more border crossing, become a race back to Lidwala. Everyone was glad to be home although it was only for two more nights, Lidwala Lodge had become our Swazi home and it felt good to be back.

Our last day in Swaziland consisted of final visits to the markets and frantically packing our bags as we would not be returning to Lidwala Lodge like many times before.

When it came time to leave it was very difficult to say goodbye to everyone as they had become our African family. Nosipho gathered us all together to tell us that she had given everyone an African name. African names all have meanings and through getting to know everyone during our time in Victoria falls she gave us names according to what she felt suited best.

Alice - Naudi (Zulu princess)
Louisa - Thandiwe (the loved one)
Zoe - Nothando (mother of love)
Kiki - Rudo (love)
Aimée - Muntin (baby)
Fe - Lungile (beautiful/good heart)
Rebecca - Nombuso (ruler of adrenaline)
Natasha - Nomathemba (mother of hope)
Madi - Nobuhle (mother of beauty)
Mon - Naufundo (mother of intelligence/wisdom)
Tee - Tendai (thanked)
James - Butho (hero/brave)
Harry - Mandla (brother and strength)
Matt - Memcoba (conquer)

After that, saying goodbye to our Swazi family became even harder ending in many hugs, photos and tears. But it was time to head off for our final road trip! We made a quick stop off to exchange money and before long we left Swaziland for the last time. Our first stop along the coastal tour was St Lucia. This was a small town with a beach and lake. Our time here was spent playing pool games and for those interested, a Hippo Boat Cruise which Alice, Zoe, Madi and Louisa took part in.

After two nights in St. Lucia our trip continued into Durban where we all wanted to go 'SHOOOPPPPIIINNNGGGG!!!!!' All the boys thought we would only need about an hour to check out the shops. We finally helped them see sense and agreed on 3 hours then would meet back at the car. Ironically, 3 hours had past and the two people we were left waiting for was Tarun and Mpho, the two people who complained in the first place! Eventually we reached the Happy Hippo which was home for the next couple of days, and settled in. A few people from the group decided to go out for dinner as Durban is known for its Indian food while the others stayed behind and played multiple games of pool with other backpackers staying at the lodge.

The next day we had the option of going to Ushaka Marine World which was an aquarium and water amusement park combined. For those who did not wish to take part in that, they were able to head into town and look around the shops and markets.

We were once again on the road and heading down the Wild Coast, to the Bucanneers Backpackers Lodge. Unfortunately, upon arriving we were informed that the activities such as the cheetah interaction, were not available due to the cheetahs being sick. The two days spent at Bucanneers consisted of relaxing and not doing much apart from a few who found an extra activity to take part in. Rebecca and Aimée went on an elephant encounter where they were able to pat and feed two juvenile elephants. James, Tarun and Mon on the other hand, all went quad-biking throughout the nature reserve. Tarun proved to be entertaining as he often lost control over the bike and drove into the trees.

The next stop along the way was Port Elizabeth. This was a one night stop but everyone was able to enjoy the free wifi or take a stroll along the beach to make the most of our time there. That night there was a sleepover in one of the rooms which began the marathon of watching the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. In true sleepover style all the mattresses were thrown on the floor with multiple pillows and blankets for anyone who wished to join.

Our last stop before reaching Cape Town was the lovely Tsitsikamma. The first day at the Tsitsikamma Backpackers a couple of us were able to play on the Segway's while others relaxed or, you guessed it, played pool. The next morning was the big day, deciding if to bungee or if not to bungee. Alice, James, Tarun, Mon, Natasha, Fe, Madi and Rebecca were joined by Harry on the bridge to prepare themselves for the biggest bridge bungee jump in the world with a hight of 216m. Everyone was alive with adrenaline and would have loved to have a second chance to jump, or in James' case, to jump three times! Once forwards, second backwards and lastly having a run-up and jump! The afternoon was filled with packing and relaxing at the lodge. James, Tash and Fe took part in the Forest Canopy Tour and Rebecca had loved the Segway's so much that she went on a guided Segway tour around the neighbouring native forests. With one night left until our arrival in Cape Town, the group had come to the realisation that our African adventure would soon be coming to a close. The drive to Cape Town was long but it was broken up by a stop off in Mossel Bay 5 hours out of Cape Town.

This was where we had the opportunity to go Great White shark cage diving. Matt, Mon, Kirsten, Rebecca, Louisa, Zoe, Madi and Alice were the brave ones in the group who headed out to seal island ready to come face to face with the king of the sea! We were briefed about what to do and how to keep all our fingers and toes. The first group to go in the cage was Mon, Matt, Kirsten and Rebecca. After only a few squeals and minor cardiac distress, it was time for a swap to let the others have a go. By this stage the guides had got back into the swing of things and used the bait to pull the sharks right up to the cage. As the first group weren't as lucky they got to get back in for a second go. We must have started to intrude in their space (or looked tasty!) because the sharks soon stopped going for the bait, and started going for the cage!

4 hours later and it was time to get back on the road. Our time of long road trips was finally coming to a close when we all saw the flickering lights of Cape Town at night. Fe, being the DJ, very cleverly played Paradise by Coldplay whilst watching Cape Town come closer and closer into view. We arrived at Hout Bay Backpackers at around 8pm which concluded our last road trip. We calculated it and realised that all of our drives over the course of the trip totalled 6 days worth of sitting in a car. We are all eager to start our volunteer placements in Hout Bay and see what our last few weeks will bring.

$2 movies plus a trip to Mozambique

COUNTRY: Southern Africa (Swaziland, Mozambique & South Africa)
PROGRAM: GapBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Care Work
WRITTEN BY: Monique Bedwell & Rebecca Young

Our first day of placement was finally here! Before we all headed off to our respective NCP's, (Neighbourhood Care Points) we were told that for the past three weeks the kids had been on school holidays and that the first official day of school wasn't actually until tomorrow, but off we went with high hopes! As expected when most of us showed up the kids weren't there! The afternoon was a bit more exciting with a visit to the children's ward at the Nazarene hospital in Manzini. We only bought a few balloons and some bubbles for the kids and some fruit for the parents but that was all we needed. It was amazing to see what a difference we could make for those kids stuck in hospital. Some of them were only there over night for a bad cough but others had been there for months suffering from terrible burns.

Upon returning to Lidwala after a fantastic afternoon at the hospital we were informed about the volunteers cooking dinners and cleaning dishes! Everyone's first reaction was to check who was on clean up. Harry and Mon were first up to cook which provided some entertainment when when Harry walked to the herbs and spices asking "where are the bell peppers?" not realising Mon had been chopping them for the past 20 minutes. Yes, capsicums and bell peppers are the same thing!

We were all fairly tired after all our travels and disappointed about not being able to teach. Soon after dinner most of us were off to bed for a good nights sleep. The next day again full of high hopes to meet our children at our NCP's we headed out accompanied by the 'old group' of volunteers. Today was more of a success with everyone coming back at lunch time with exciting stories about the children at their NCP. Most of us spent the afternoon actually preparing lessons for the following day. To say we were excited for the next day was an understatement.

Within a few days we had realised how much hard work the children were and that we would not be able to cope with a full day of teaching. Most of this was due to the language barrier making it difficult to communicate.

On Wednesday the group decided to treat ourselves to a night out at the movies. It was cheap Wednesday's so instead of costing R36 it was ONLY R16 (equivalent of around $2AUD).

That Friday we all attended the 'House Party.' This pretty much involved being taken to a bowling club to drink and hang out with our group and the remaining members of the 'old group' of volunteers- Hannah, Annabelle, EJ and Bjorn. When we got there non of us really understood how we were going to have a good time as it was a lawn bowls club. However, once we had a few drinks and some food, fun conversations, piggy back races, balancing competitions and dancing soon followed. Fe and Fezi had a chilli chicken eat off which Fe surprisingly won, despite Fezi's bragging!

A few of the group-Rebecca, Matt, Kirsten, Aimee and Mon- headed out the next day to go Zip Lining. At 1pm they had packed the car and headed off with Wawa. Along the way they had a few stop offs before arriving at Malolotja nature reserve. The first stop was the worlds second largest erect rock in world after our very own Uluru :) YEAH THE AUSSIES!!! It's called Sibebe. The next stop was a very large made made dam when the dam was in view Mon made the comment "Oh Damn!" Everyone laughed until they realised she wasn't making a pun and said it in complete seriousness which just made it even funnier.
After spending a good 10 minutes yelling into the dam and hearing our echoes we headed off to the Malolotja Nature Reserve where we would be staying. We didn't stay there long as Wawa wanted to take us to watch the sunset. Due to the amount of fires in the area there was a large amount of haze which made it difficult to see the vast acres of mountain range in the distance. The sunset was beautiful but took a very long time to set, in soon time we were ready to head back to our huts. We has an outside BBQ and all headed to bed early.

The next morning we were all up at 7.50am and very excited to head off. While sitting down for breakfast Matt ever so calmly informed us "omg there is a scorpion", the rest of reacted appropriately and freaked out! Kirstin caught the scorpion with a glass and took it outside to have a better look. A guide walked passed and casually poured the scorpion onto his hand. our morning lesson was "big pincers, small tail will only leave an agitated big sting. Small pincers, big tail...BIG PROBLEM."

After that we headed to the main office where we were debriefed and suited up for Zip lining. The drive down to the gorge was bumpy and fun for the most part. The first couple slides were small and then we got straight into it. The remarkable views and feelings of adrenaline hit everyone and we all loved it! To say we wished we could have done it again would be an understatement.

Once we got back it was lunch and then we were on the road again. Our next stop was the Ngwenya Mines; these are the world's oldest mines. We were able to also walk up to the last caves which had not been destroyed. Again we were on the road again to the glass factory, as well as the chocolate factory and various other little shops.
Then we were off home, but not quite! We drove past Lidwala and headed straight to the candle factory. Everyone who had stayed home that weekend were there as well. The markets as well as the candle factory had an abundance of goodies that we all fell in love with. Non of us expected to see such colourful and beautiful hand crafted candles.

While those who didn't go zip lining stayed home they still had a great weekend of their own. As the 'old group' was leaving after this weekend and heading home, the remainder of the volunteers stayed behind and had farewell with casual drinks and a fire pit at the Lidwala lodge. Most of the group spent the night sleeping out under the stars after being suggested by Fe.

Our second week of work had commenced with sad goodbyes to Annabelle, Hannah, EJ, Barbara and Bjorn. By this time we had all settled into our routine of catching Combie's (a mini van that functions like a bus but can be hailed anywhere as though it was a taxi) and teaching. The biggest highlight of the week was the monthly football (soccer) game of volunteers vs All Out Africa team. On this particular day it was 37 degrees and we were all feeling the heat! But that didn't stop us. We were driven to Malendela's where we prepared for our game. Harry's tactic was for us all to get a sugar hit and bought lollies. This was initially successful as we were able to put the first goal of the game away! Feeling the adrenaline few team member Madi and Alice were continuously encouraging the team that "WE HAVE THIS!! DON'T GIVE UP, WE CAN WIN, RUN FASTER!!!" Our biggest surprises was Matt with his outstanding height and ability to gain all the headers and Tash our little pocket rocket! Everyone did their best to try keep us ahead of the game. Unfortunately we all had a sugar crash and began to feel the heat. The game concluded with a depressing score of 9-1. Unfortunately Tarun and Louisa couldn't be there for the game as Louisa had taken Tarun to the doctors due to an ongoing illness that hadn't been improving.
The end of the week was concluded with the entire group heading back out to Malendela's for a dinner out as a whole group. Not only were we able to enjoy each others company but everyone who spent over R50 on food enabled one Swazi child from our NCPs to get a free dinner at Malendela's. We all had a throughly enjoyable night and plan on going back soon.

Saturday was packing day as we were heading of to the lovely Mozambique for a week of beach, sun, and relaxation. We were also looking forward to catching up with the Mozambique Antipodeans volunteers whom we had met at the June training camp and had flown over to Africa with.

Let's start with a safari shall we? GapBreak Southern Africa Combo

COUNTRY: Southern Africa (Swaziland, Mozambique & South Africa)
PROGRAM: GapBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Care Work
WRITTEN BY: Monique Bedwell

The day of leaving Australia was full of nerves, excitement and a few tears but still smiling faces. Reuniting with the group after the training camp in June settled the feelings that we were all leaving. The flight started off well and then rapidly declined as we soon realised that sitting on a plane for 14 hours would not go quickly.

We arrived in Johannesburg and headed straight to our hotel that was literally a mini Las Vegas. Once we sat down to eat dinner jet lag hit us all like a tonne of bricks and it was time for bed soon after.

The next morning most people were up in the early hours of the morning because Our bodies still thought it was 4 in the afternoon. We headed back to the airport and caught a bus to our very small plane and 45minutes later we landed in Manzini, Swaziland! We were greeted by Menzi and Nobilé who transported us to our home away from home. Upon arriving in Lidwala we met the previous group of volunteers, who have quickly become good friends.

We were very fortunate that we arrived on the last day of one of Swazilands main festivals, the Reed Dance. This festival involves thousands of maidens dressing in traditional costumes and walking long distances to cut reeds for the Queen Mother and then dancing in front of the King so he can pick a new wife. All of the maidens wore bright and vibrant colours, singing and dancing in groups, it was a remarkable sight to have been able to see. We wanted culture and here it was on our first day. We couldn't have asked for anything better!
The next day consisted of our Lobamba village tour. We began at the museum where we gained a bit of background and understanding of the culture, in more depth.

Finally, we were off to KRUGAR NATIONAL PARK!!! Everyone buzzing, temperatures rising, we were ready to see the African wildlife!
Our group was joined by three more volunteers, Madi, Kirstin and Aimee; another Aussie and two Dutch girls. Our Krugar trip was also joined by two Norwegian volunteers working on a project in Mozambique; Patrik and Orietta.

The trip to Krugar was even better with our drivers Thulani and Bob giving us some interesting commentary along the way. Within diving into the park we had already seen three of the big 5: a few Rhino, Elephants and Buffalo.

The big 5 for those of you that don't know are:

1. Lion
2. Rhino
3. Leopard
4. Elephant
5. Buffalo

Within a day Tarun was already ready to watch a lion eat an impala due to them being absolutely everywhere! The site seeing whilst driving through the park was just as remarkable as the animals themselves. By the time we returned to camp after driving for 12 hours in the hot vans everyone was ready for bed! Alice made a camp fire which was a nice touch to the end of a long day. The night sky was beautiful, the amount of stars that were out took a lot of people by surprise.

The following days consisted of driving for long hours spotting wild life. The Animals we were lucky enough to see include: Impalas, Baboons, Lions, Cheetahs, Leopards, Hippos, Buffalos, Monkeys, Koodos, Giraffes, Jackals, Hyenas, Rhinos, Elephants, Snakes, Crocodiles, multiple birds, Lizards, Mongoose, Antelopes, Porcupines and Warthogs.

One of the most remarkable sights was when we spotted a pride of 16 Lions just walking along the bank of the river. Later that afternoon on our sunset drive we saw 3 male lions basking in the afternoon sun just to add to the already spectacular day. The sunset drive was exciting, spotting glowing eyes in the darkness with spot lights in the open top safari trucks.

Another exciting event we were able to take part in was the morning walk, unfortunately it meant being up and ready by 5.15am. Well worth it though! The group was split into three groups on separate days. Although we were on separate days we all managed to see some awesome sights such as being within 50m of a herd of Elephants!

On Saturday it was Orietta's birthday so we all had a few drinks by the fire as a group for our last night together before departing the following day.
After safely arriving back at Lidwala we all relaxed for the afternoon just enjoying not being in the super hot non-air conditioned vans. Tomorrow is our first day of our volunteer placement and to say we're excited is a bit of an understatement!

I think it's fair to say that so far this trip has been everything we hoped for and much much more. Can't wait to see what the future holds for us all!

The Garden Route - Swaziland to Cape Town

 

COUNTRY: Southern Africa Combo (Swaziland, Mozambique and South Africa)
PROGRAM: GapBreak
PROJECT: Teaching and Care Work
WRITTEN BY: Danielle Edwards

Okay so here we are.. looking at the downhill run of our placement with just over six weeks left! We have only a short time to go in Swaziland which means we will then be setting off on our new adventure and travelling down to Cape Town.

Our last few days in Swaziland were spent working at our NCP's, bonding with the children while knowing that it would be a long time (if ever) until we were re-united with them. By this point we all had those few children with whom we shared a special bond. Some of us had already organized sponsorship for one or two of the children that will be on-going once we return home.

It was not only the children which we found it hard to part ways, but we all found ourselves pretty emotional when it came to saying goodbye to the other volunteers that we had grown to know and love, as well as the staff members!

We met our new guide Mpho who would be taking us on our tour all the way from Swaziland to Cape Town for the next 11-or-so days. We had a short orientation and found him to be really nice and easy to talk to, which made us all that much more keen to start the next part of our adventure. The next day we set off after a morning of emotional good-byes and last minute packing on route to St. Lucia where we would be spending the next couple of nights. The travelling group consisted of us Aussies as well as two other girls (Joyce and Sanne) from the Netherlands who would be joining us for the travels to Cape Town.

When we arrived in St. Lucia, there was another group of volunteers who had been working for a month prior - and were heading off to Swaziland the next day. They were from a variety of places including Canada, United States, England and Scotland. The next day we went to the crocodile/reptile park where we learnt about the lifestyle of the crocs and their abilities. That afternoon we went on a hippo tour in the river at St. Lucia where we got to see lots of hippos up close and see them interact in their natural environments.

After two nights in St. Lucia, we drove to Durban where we stayed at a modern lodge. From there we ventured out to sea world, where some of us had close encounters with sharks, all types of fish and marine life, as saw a group of string-rays being hand fed. We also watched a dolphin show where the production was kind of lame but the dolphins put on a good show! We spent the entire afternoon going on all the watersides at 'Wet n Wild' before returning to the lodge to pack and prepare for our long travels the following day.

After a long and tiring 9.5 hour bus ride the following day, we ended up at Wild Coast in the evening, staying at quite a large backpackers lodge with out own unit. Here we did a cheetah interaction activity, but had the opportunity to also do an elephant interaction before-hand. Only Jessie and Will took this opportunity though, but we all got the chance to pet a cheetah and get up-close and personal with them, which was pretty cool!

The next destination after Wild Coast was Port Elizabeth. The hostel where we stayed was really nice and comfortable. There wasn't much to do in the area tourism wise, so for the day that we were there we went and took a look at the Main Street with shops. It was a pretty cruisy full day spent there with not many obligations which was a nice change of pace.

The following morning we arrived at our last destination before Cape Town, Tsisikama. It was here where the worlds biggest bungee jump bridge exists, which Jessie, Will and myself took the opportunity to take advantage of. This was a truly amazing experience! We also went to other tourist attractions here which included a place called 'Monkey Land' where we went on a guided tour through a monkey enclosure home to 10 different species. Following that, we went to a snake and reptile park where we got to hold a massive yellow python!

It wasn't long before we were enduring another 10 hour bus ride (which was thankfully our last) to Cape Town where we said goodbye to our guide Mpho and took taxis to Hout Bay, which is where we will be staying for the remainder of our trip (4 weeks). Until next time!

Danielle.

A typical day at my Neighbourhood Care Point in Swaziland

 

COUNTRY: Southern Africa (Swaziland, Mozambique & South Africa)
PROGRAM: GapBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Care Work
WRITTEN BY: Danielle Edwards

Hey everyone! Sorry about the delayed updates of our trip! Things have been super busy here in Swaziland over the past 3-and-a-bit weeks, spare time has been pretty limited. The four of us volunteers are having an absolute ball here, and already dreading the fact that we have less than 2 weeks left in Swaziland until we begin our new adventure to Cape Town, South Africa. After having the excitement of being in Kruger park for the first week, it was now time for us to get really stuck into the community work we came here to do.

There were so many mixed emotions when we reached the first morning of our NCP (Neighbourhood Community Point) work, we didn’t know what to expect and what would be required. Issy and Will were in a group along with another volunteer from the Netherlands. Jessie was also placed with a girl also from the Netherlands to work in a rural NCP. I was placed with a Dutch volunteer, so it has been good for us to be able to spend time and interact with our international partners.

The first time we walked into our individual NCPs, the children came swarming towards us and greeted us with huge smiles and big warm hugs, the feeling was overwhelming and amazing at the same time. I noticed that many of the children were wearing clothes with holes and tears in them, along with shoes that were so worn the soles were non-existant. This was upsetting at first but after a couple of days it was something that we learned to accept as a sad fact of life for these children in Swaziland. Although it was blatantly evident that these children did not have much, they were all always so HAPPY and POSITIVE.
At Ekuzukekeni (my NCP); from 9:15am until between 10 and 10:30am the children do lessons and learn English. They already know a few things in English such as numbers, the alphabet, days of the week, months of the year, shapes, animals, time or colours. It is incredible the amount that the children know considering the majority of them are at kindergarten level and also considering English is not their first language. Each day, we volunteers will prepare different lessons to help revise what the children already know, and expand their knowledge further as best we can.
 

After the first set of lessons, the children will eat their breakfast after praying and washing their hands out of a bucket. There are two cooks at the school who will prepare the food for the children, anywhere between 25-55 kids per day. It’s upsetting to discover that a percentage of the children that go to the NCP’s have little food at home and therefore they come to school just to be fed 1 square meal. They eat Maize which is similar to porridge but has more of gooey texture. Breakfast done, the children will play for a little while before being brought back into class for further lessons. Often, this is when we will give the children worksheets for them to complete with the help of the volunteers and the classroom teacher. Before we know it, lunch time comes when the children are usually served a traditional Swazi food called Pap along with beans and other vegetables if they are available.

Not long after the children have eaten lunch, they will brush their teeth with toothbrushes and toothpaste provided by previous volunteers to the NCP. They will say a prayer and sing songs before departing for the day. Many of the children who do not live close to the NCP will be driven home in a car, sitting in the tray of a ute, whereas others will walk home along with their relatives.

The challenge for the volunteers has been to prepare lessons and subjects to teach the children for the following day. There are ages between 3 - 7 years in one classroom at a time so it is crucial to ensure that there is enough challenge all students, as well as simplicity to meet the requirements of the younger kids. Once a week, each NCP has a sports day where some of our staff come to the school to play games and sing songs with all of the children to give them a break from studying - as well to educate them about physical activities. Dance is a big part of the Swaziland culture so that's always a big part of it!

There were also chances during this week to participate in activities in the afternoons, such as hospital visits, painting at NCP’s and SiSwati lessons. Visiting the children in the main hospital in Swaziland was quite an overwhelming experience as it was difficult to interact with some of the patients. There were sick children, with parents who didn’t know much English who we were trying to cheer up and make feel better. Don’t get me wrong, some children loved the attention and toys, other families didn’t appreciate the intrusion of outsiders coming in a large group, which I personally can’t say that I blame them.

Our second weekend in, we spent at Malalodja to go zip-lining! The weather was not off to a good start, with heaps of wind and possible chances of rain. The place where we stayed was so cute, they were little cottages with proper blankets and duvet’s, and we had such a good sleep! The next morning we woke up bright and early to head off zip-lining, luckily the clouds had cleared up in the sky and we had an awesome day zip-lining. It was such a rush to glide along the wires between the mountains; it was truly an incredible experience.

The week that followed the zip-lining weekend was also spent at our NCP’s working with the children in the same way as the first week of volunteering. This week was more special I personally think though because at this point we have started to form a bond with the children and have seen them grow since the first day that we met them. We started to notice certain children who have got a better understanding on writing letters of the alphabet, or other kids who can almost write their names. I think it’s a great thing to take the time to not only notice these improvements, but to congratulate and acknowledge them.

Our next adventure in the placement was the 5 night trip to Mozambique where we got quite a change of atmosphere and we had time to chill out, relax and enjoy the ocean-side. We got to experience the local social scene at the bars, and meet new people there. One thing that I noticed in Mozambique was that everyone was trying to sell us something, whether it was boys walking around with trays of bracelets or elderly people walking along the beach trying to sell various things like clothing, sarongs, artwork, seafood, fruit, wooden figures or anything else you can think of, at first we would politely refuse up until it got to a point where we had to be stern and consistent with our answer of ‘no’ otherwise they physically would not leave us alone. We also went on an ocean safari on one of the days in Mozambique where we had the chance to see whale sharks, dolphins and manta rays, but unfortunately we saw none of the sort. One of our fellow travellers wasn’t in the best state on the boat ride leaving him feeling ill and pale faced, but unfortunately for him, he can only blame himself from the night before! Other volunteers also participated in other activities in their spare time such as horse-back riding, surfing, and bargain hunting at the markets and just tanning/relaxing on the beach. It was such a great week all in all, but by the end we were glad to be heading back to Swaziland because it is such a great place.

Not only were we excited to get back to Swaziland, we were also more than keen to go to the annual Bushfire Festival which goes over 3 days with artists from many different states performing live on the stage there! There were craft and food stalls with stock from different countries. There were plenty of late nights and early mornings with good food/drink and brilliant music! There were so many people who had travelled from all over to attend the festival, so it was great to interact with other tourists.

Now Bushfire is over and we are getting stuck back into our project work at the NCP’s this week! Sorry for keeping you all in suspense for this long! Talk soon J

Making a difference in Swaziland, through donations, supplies and sponsorship

COUNTRY: Southern Africa (Swaziland, Mozambique & South Africa)
PROGRAM: GapBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Care Work
WRITTEN BY: Lucy Coles

The last two weeks have come and gone quickly in Swaziland, with the Antipodeans keeping ourselves busy as we finished our project work here in Swaziland. We have all enjoyed our project work immensely and will miss the kids when it’s time to move on to South Africa on Tuesday.

Despite frustrating transport problems, Laura, Sarah and Alex have been working at Mlindazwe NCP, where they’ve done a fantastic job of teaching the kids even though they’ve been a bit cheeky at times (for example, locking their teachers in the classroom...). They have learned a lot of siSwati phrases and Laura says that they are becoming more and more patient every day as the kids come up with new tricks.

At Mahlanya, Jacinta and Jaimee have been working with their twenty kids, many of whom are ready to go to school next year. Jacinta teaches the older kids while Jaimee takes the younger ones, and the teacher at the NCP, Patience, goes between their classrooms to help them out. Not only have they been able to donate a huge amount of supplies such as toothbrushes, soap, toilet paper, sports equipment and resources to the NCP, but they’ve also secured sponsorship for many of their students to go to primary school next year.

Miri has been working with another Alex, an Australian volunteer, at Ezulwini NCP. They’ve been preparing great activities for their fifty kids and have made donations of food and materials to the NCP.

At Lobamba NCP, Katie, Lara and Dylan have made a huge difference in providing medical care for kids who have needed it, painting classrooms, making donations of food and cleaning supplies and taking all of their children to the cinema.

Taylah has been working at Bethany NCP with two Dutch volunteers, who are also on the Kruger to Cape trip. They’ve really fallen in love with all of the children and had a great day with them last week, taking them to the cinema at the Gables to see Brave. At the moment, they’re trying to track down supplies to donate to their school, such as pencils, workbooks and other supplies.

Finally, Georgie, Lauren and I have been at Ekuzukekeni, “the NCP under the tree”. We have kept ourselves busy with decorating the newly built classroom. Georgie and Lauren’s fundraising has allowed them to donate materials for a kitchen shelter, a blackboard, carpets, a chair for the teacher and tables and benches for the children. On Friday, we took all fifty kids on a day trip first to the local clinic for medical care, and then to the cinema to cheer them up. It was sad to see that some of the kids had missed out on routine childhood vaccinations and many were upset at the thought of having injections but they were all in high spirits at the end of the day.

Aside from working at the NCPs, we’ve all enjoyed relaxing in our free time and getting to know the local area, from Mbabane (the capital city) to Sheba’s Brest (a mountain behind the lodge). We've now had two staff v volunteers soccer matches, both of which we may or may not have won; the results are always hard to determine. The new volunteers, with whom we all got on really well, left this morning for Mozambique and we are looking forward to new adventures commencing on Tuesday as we slowly make our way to Cape Town, but will definitely be sad to leave behind Swaziland and all the children we've become so close to.

Last update from Cape Town and the 'Southern Africa' volutneers

COUNTRY: Southern Africa (Swaziland, Mozambique & South Africa)
PROGRAM: GapBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Care Work
WRITTEN BY: Shelby Stapleton, In-Country Partner

The volunteers had a fantastic last week, they spent lots of time planning their lessons for the projects each morning, and made sure to make the most of their afternoons to do sightseeing and make "their last week in africa" memorable.


The week kicked off with a bang when they went Shark Cage diving and saw 22 great white sharks….!!!! On Tuesday they hiked up Lions Head – a mountain next to Table Mountain and one of Cape Town's hidden Gems – it has panoramic views of the city and table mountain, so I am sure they have some fantastic photos.

Wednesday afternoon they spent in Cape Town visiting the Slave Lodge, a museum about the african slave trade, and the company gardens. After this we all met for dinner and a bit of a boogie at Mama Africa – on Long Street – a restaurant that serves any African meat you can imagine (Zebra, Warthog, Kudu and crocodile!) and has a different local band each night, so we boogied to some marimba music.

Thursday they spent organizing goodbye parties at their projects the next day and had a quiet night in (!!). Friday was always emotional, saying goodbye to friends, teachers and children they have become attached to during their stay in Cape Town – many balloons, bubbles and cake made the parities memorable! Friday night all the volunteers went to the local Hout Bay market and had a great evening of food and music!

This weekend they spent exploring Cape Point, Boulders beach (where penguins sit on the beach!) and the peninsula – very much like the Mornington peninsula in Melbourne – beautiful beaches, wine and incredible views. Last night they watched the sunset from Chapmans Peak in Hout Bay, before packing their bags and heading to the airport this morning!

These guys have been fantastic, such an easy going, fun loving group of volunteers – if you can arrange for the next group to be this great that would be perfect!!!

Thanks so much,
Shelby